Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024
Occasional Digest - a story for you

Robert Page (centre) applauds
Robert Page (centre) managed Wales at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup

Manager Robert Page says Wales are “confident” about their Nations League prospects after being drawn against Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey.

Wales are back in the second tier of the competition after finishing bottom of Group A4 in the 2022-23 edition.

They avoided some of League B’s highest-ranked teams, but were again pitted against Turkey, who finished above Wales in Euro 2024 qualifying.

“I think it’s a positive group. We’re quite pleased with it,” said Page.

“We know all about Turkey off the back of playing them recently. I thought our home performance [1-1 in November 2023] was very good and, on another day, we could have won the game.

“Away from home we went down to 10 men after 40 minutes and, without that, the result [2-0 defeat in June 2023] would have been different. So we know all about them.

“With regards to the other teams, we’ll have to do a little bit more digging and get some work for our analysts.

“If we give the performances we gave against Croatia [2-1 win in October 2023] and Turkey at home, the results should take care of themselves. We’re pretty confident.”

Wales will begin their Nations League campaign with two group games in September, followed by two in October and two in November.

Page’s side are next in action on 21 March when they host Finland in a Euro 2024 play-off semi-final, with a potential home play-off final against Poland or Estonia five days later.

It was Wales’ Nations League record which earned them that play-off place after missing out on automatic qualification, and the same could be true for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

European qualifying for that tournament starts next year. The winners of each of those groups qualify automatically, with the runners-up of each group entering World Cup play-offs.

The four best Nations League group winners who do not qualify either of those ways will also go into the World Cup play-offs.

When Wales qualified for the 2022 World Cup, their rearranged play-off final against Ukraine had to be played between two Nations League fixtures, one in Poland and the other at home to the Netherlands.

Page rotated his squad and fielded weakened teams in both those games in order to field his strongest possible side to face Ukraine.

Although Wales achieved their ultimate goal of qualifying for a first World Cup since 1958, they lost both matches against Poland and the Netherlands and finished bottom of Group A4 after picking up just one point from their six matches, resulting in relegation.

“What I’m pleased about with this group is that we haven’t got the [2022 World Cup] play-off final in amongst it all which impacted selection for either [Nations League] game,” Page told BBC Sport at Thursday’s Nations League draw in Paris.

“So it will be nice that we can go into this competition and treat it as one on its own and play our best team to go out and get the results.”

Source link